72 replies to this topic

[Anomandaris86]

Is it just me or was the Eyrie a lot different than described in the books? I seem to recall it was built into the side of a mountain, not on its own seperate "island" linked by a causeway. Also I pictured it a lot taller. Admittedly it's been a while since I read that book but isn't that how it was? Can someone who remembers it better comment on this?

[Spionkop]

I just had it like the Edinburgh castle but on a bigger rock. I like their version more.

[Zezibesh]

I didn't like the Eyrie. It was way too "fantasy" for me. IIRC it was described as a keep built on top of a high mountain range with a narrow mountain road leading to it. Not a lone peak in the middle of the Vale with a lavish palace on top, and physically impossible stone bridges leading to it.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Anomandaris86, on 16 May 2011 - 02:04 PM, said:

Is it just me or was the Eyrie a lot different than described in the books? I seem to recall it was built into the side of a mountain, not on its own seperate "island" linked by a causeway. Also I pictured it a lot taller. Admittedly it's been a while since I read that book but isn't that how it was? Can someone who remembers it better comment on this?

Yes, I believe it's described as being placed on the side of a very tall mountain (the Giant's Lance, which I imagined being Matterhorn-ish).  The TV version was OK, but didn't seem quite...vertical enough.

[Zezibesh]

For reference, here's how I imagined the Eyrie to look like, almost down to every detail.

Linky

[Jojen]

I think the producers and the set designers have said that they were going for a more rounded-off feel for the Eyrie, with fewer straight lines and more curves. The outside had to match the interior.

Edited by Jojen, 16 May 2011 - 04:10 PM.

[Lord Bakke]

Yes, the Eyrie of the TV series is far from what it is described in the books. I think they failed to capture this alpine landscape the whole Vale should have. And yes, Ted Nadsmith depiction of the Eyrie is just beautiful.

[Chataya de Fleury]

I thought the same things.  And, there is all that, but...they have a budget to follow.  I'm sure that doing the way castles + having a physically impossible Eyrie would have been absolutely budget busting.

[elmis]

Totally agree with the Ted Nadsmith version, that is the way I pictured it as well.

[Arbor Goldson]

yeah, the Eyrie looked pretty bad.  And it didn't make that much sense when someone (Tyrion?) said that it was impregnable.  I mean, are we supposed to believe that it is impregnable just because someone told us?  Makes my fantasy of Dany and Tyrion and someone else conquering the Vale with her dragons seem kinda lame.

[Hyper]

elmis, on 16 May 2011 - 04:37 PM, said:

Totally agree with the Ted Nadsmith version, that is the way I pictured it as well.

I have to admit I did not picture it as shown in the show either - I pictured it more like a fortress built into a vertical rock wall - but the Ted Nadsnith version just looks so "fantasy-lite". I'm glad they did better than "Neuschwanstein on top of a rock".

My biggest nit is the exaggerated height of the mountain top the fortress is sitting on. But I do like the look of the actual building(s).

Edited by Hyper, 16 May 2011 - 04:50 PM.

[Ser Bronn o the Blackwater]

The only time I really got a sense of how high it was supposed to be was when Tyrion looked out of the sky cell, and even that didn't seem quite high enough... Still loved it, though!

[Tywin's bastard]

Arbor Gold, on 16 May 2011 - 04:42 PM, said:

yeah, the Eyrie looked pretty bad.  And it didn't make that much sense when someone (Tyrion?) said that it was impregnable.  I mean, are we supposed to believe that it is impregnable just because someone told us?  Makes my fantasy of Dany and Tyrion and someone else conquering the Vale with her dragons seem kinda lame.

Why doesn't that make any sense? How are you going to use any siege engines against that castle and how are you going to attack it other than having your soldiers run up to it 3-4 at a time? That tactic is not going to conquer any castle and we don't even know how the the gates are located (which could bring even more problems). The book says that armies bashed themselves bloody against the Bloody Gate, and that was easier to attack than this castle by the description.

So how do you gather that this is so easy to conquer that you say that it doesn't make sense?

[The Bastard King]

It didn't seem as imposing as its described in the books. Nor was it as high as I imagined it to be, but the view of Tyrion looking over the edge was fantastic and made up for the height issue a bit. Also the interior looked gorgeous, probably one of my favourite sets.

[PestilencE]

Spionkop, on 16 May 2011 - 03:15 PM, said:

I just had it like the Edinburgh castle but on a bigger rock. I like their version more.

ah, a fellow Edinburgher, I presume?
Welcome to the forums.

My idea of the Eyrie was pretty much the same as the tv show, but more elevated, and with more pointy towers. I am very satisfied with their rendition.

Edited by PestilencE, 16 May 2011 - 07:47 PM.

[Anomandaris86]

Chataya de Venoge, on 16 May 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

I thought the same things.  And, there is all that, but...they have a budget to follow.  I'm sure that doing the way castles + having a physically impossible Eyrie would have been absolutely budget busting.

I was assuming it was going to be CGI no matter what. Do you think the version in the show isn't?

[Anomandaris86]

Here's the entry on the Eyrie in the official wiki:

http://awoiaf.wester...index.php/Eyrie


Yep. I was right.

[Xxtayce]

I was anticipating something more like this:

http://xxtayce.com/w...05/TheEyrie.png

Edited by Xxtayce, 16 May 2011 - 09:06 PM.

[Jojen]

Ok, so we know what everyone thinks of the outside, but how about the inside?

I, for one, like the throne room, particularly the weirwood throne. Can't imagine it's any more comfortable than the Iron Throne.

[melicorn]

I didn't think the Eyrie was that terrible, but it was certainly different than what I would have done. I also had imagined it and the mountain it was on to be much taller. (I don't remember seeing any waterfalls either, shouldn't they have been visible?) Also I had always assumed it had much more rough hewn rock, so that it was difficult to tell where mountain ended and castle began. Maybe some kind of combination of this and this.